Nathaniel Sackett Sr. was head of the secret service at Fishkill, New York, during the Revolutionary War. Monroe was platted by his son Nathaniel Sackett and John Piatt in 1817. The men chose to name this small farming community after the recently elected U.S. president, James Monroe. The Red Onion Hotel, located in the center of town, was a popular stagecoach stop during the 1850s. Monroe was a town where everyone met at the stadium for football games, a town where people never locked their doors. A tornado ripped through the village in 1969, and its citizens pulled together in the aftermath. Monroe has retained a very close-knit, small-town atmosphere. This is attributed to the men and women who love this city and donate their time to service organizations that make the town vital. The leaders are very accessible to the citizens and always take the time to smile and say hello.